


Panic

by kruly



Category: Twisted (TV series)
Genre: Gen, Twisted, avan jogia - Freeform, danny desai - Freeform, lacey porter - Freeform, twisted abc family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-22
Updated: 2013-03-22
Packaged: 2017-12-06 02:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/730517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kruly/pseuds/kruly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Lacey struggles to deal with the loss of her friend, she finds herself being comforted by the person she least expects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Panic

**Author's Note:**

> I never write fanfiction, but I was so inspired by the Twisted pilot, I thought I'd give it a try! Can't wait for this show to return in June.

They sat in silence.

Lacey kept her gaze downward and picked at her manicure, praying the bell would ring and this hellish lunch would be over. It was all she could do to avoid looking at the empty seat between her and Sarita, all she could do to refrain from bursting into tears at the realization she would never eat lunch with Regina again. There’d be no more gossiping over pre-packed lunches or laughing at Regina’s dirty jokes. There’d be no more Regina.

Ever.

“It’s so…weird.” Sarita murmured. She looked as miserable as Lacey felt. “She’s really gone.”

The tiny sophomore sighed and dropped her head in her hands, her long curls covering her face. “This sucks.”

As Seth massaged Sarita’s back in an attempt at comfort, Lacey gave a cursory glance of the cafeteria. Every so often students would approach their table, which was decorated with pink streamers and a sign advertising “in memoriam” bracelets in honor of their friend. Donations were going to a local charity in Regina’s name, and students were more than happy to pitch in.

“Two, please,” a senior girl requested, dropping a few dollars into the jar. Sarita grabbed two pink bracelets and placed them in the girl’s outstretched hands. “Thanks. And sorry for your loss, you guys.”

Lacey gave a small smile and tried to refrain from looking ungrateful. “Thank you.”

A few more students approached and Lacey put on her best smile as she accommodated them, despite her growing feeling of dread. She wanted nothing more than to be at home, buried under her covers and left to sort out her feelings alone, but she knew that wasn't possible. At least, not right now. For now, she sought comfort in the knowledge that this wasn’t about her, but about honoring the memory of her friend.

“I’d like to buy a bracelet,” an uncomfortably familiar voice said. Lacey glanced up to see the person she had spent all lunch period praying not to see today standing in front of their table. His dark locks were tied back in his usual bun, and he was looking at her—only her—with some sort of sympathy? She wasn’t sure.

“A bracelet,” Danny repeated. His voice was soft. “Please.”

Lacey looked at the twenty dollar bill in his outstretched hand and faltered. Her mouth immediately went dry, and she couldn’t think of anything to say.

Sarita clearly wasn’t having the same problem, as she crossed her arms and said bitingly, “We don’t want your money, _Socio_.”

Lacey caught a flash of annoyance cross his face so quickly she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t an act of her imagination.

Danny regarded Sarita with a thoughtful look before turning his attention back to Lacey. “Money’s money, right?” he asked, his lips turned in a half-smirk. “No matter where it comes from.”

“Wrong,” Sarita said. She stood in an attempt to appear more threatening. “This money is going to charity in the name of Regina, who was _murdered_.” She flicked some of her curls behind her shoulder. “So, why would we accept money _from_ a murderer?”

They were attracting the attention of their classmates, and Lacey felt an acute pounding sensation in her head.

Danny took a step back and pocketed the money. “You raise a fair point,” he joked.

“Look, why don’t you—,” Seth started, rising from his seat, but as soon as Danny made eye contact with him he stalled and sat back down. He kept his eyes to the floor. Lacey remembered what he said the day after the party, how he’d claimed Danny had threatened to kill him. “And he’d enjoy it, like he did last time.” Seth had said.

Lacey shivered. She had a flashback of that rope—the rope she could have sworn was yellow, despite the fact Jo claimed it was red—twisted in his hands. The look on his face, the fear she remembered seizing her as he told them what happened. Why did she feel so hot? The pounding was getting louder. She needed air.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to cause any problems,” Danny stated. “I just wanted to show my sympathy.” He glanced at Lacey and immediately looked concerned. “Lacey? Are you okay?”

She wasn’t. “I have to go,” she muttered, standing up clumsily and gathering her things. “Sorry.”

And she got the hell out of there.

 

 

***

 

She burst through the front doors of the school and immediately fell to the ground, her entire body shuddering as she struggled to get her breathing back to normal. She practiced the relaxation techniques taught to her by her therapist. _Count to ten and breathe through your nose, Lacey_ , she mentally commanded herself. One, two, three…

By the time she reached ten, she felt much better. She picked herself up and brushed the dirt from her stockings as the door opened behind her.

Danny stepped in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she said honestly. _Until you arrived_. She slid out from his grasp. “I just needed some space.”

He nodded. “I understand the feeling.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. It was weird, though, knowing that right now she had more in common with Danny than she did with her friends.

“God,” she sighed and wandered a few feet over, settling against the side of the building. “I haven’t freaked out like that since I was eleven.”

Danny joined her, leaning perhaps a little too close, and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry about that. I can’t help but feel responsible.”

“Well,” she said. “A year of intense psychotherapy has made me think you’d be correct.”

She smiled, and he shot a grin back. How did they get here, she wondered? How did she end up alone with Danny yet again? “God, this is weird,” she thought out loud.

“It is,” Danny agreed. He bumped her shoulder with his and continued, “But it’s nice.”

She observed him for a few moments, wondering—not for the first time since he’d returned—how little Danny from five years ago had grown up to be so handsome. “Can I ask you something?”

“Not counting that question?”

She rolled her eyes and fixed him with a hard stare. “Why didn’t you tell the police I was with you that night, after the party?”

His eyes showed no trace of surprise. “Why would they need to know?”

“It would have given you a witness,” she replied incredulously. “Gotten you off the hook.”

He shrugged and looked off to the side. “You made me promise I wouldn’t tell anyone. I wouldn’t break a promise.”

Lacey shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t tell if you’re sweet or stupid.”

“Did you just call me sweet?” he smirked. On instinct, she punched his arm, something she hadn’t done since they were young. “Shut up,” she laughed.

“Ouch,” He rubbed his arm in mock pain. “That’s going to leave a mark.”

“You’ll live,” she said drily. She straightened. “Anyway, thanks for not saying anything. And for the record,” she hesitated and played with the hem of her skirt. “I don’t think you did it. To Regina, I mean.”

Danny pushed himself off of the wall and shot her an intense stare. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. “Thank you,” he said finally. His expression lightened. “So that makes,” he counted off on his fingers, “Two of us, in this whole town.”

She smiled. “Don’t forget Jo. She seemed pretty convinced of your innocence before.”

“Of course,” he said carefully. “We can’t forget Jo.”

Something in his tone made her turn toward him, questioningly. Whatever she was prepared to say, however, quickly died as she found his eyes lowering dangerously toward her lips. She swallowed nervously.

"What?" she asked. Her voice was suddenly hoarse

He brushed a finger to her cheek. "Your dimple. I'd forgotten how cute it is."

They were so close, and his eyes were _so_ brown. And his hair…Without thinking, she lifted a hand to brush back his bang, her fingers lingering against the softness of his cheek. He stepped even closer.

“Danny,” she said. Her voice wavered with the confusion (and longing?) she felt inside.

What was it about him that made her feel so drawn to him?

He opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance as someone suddenly ran out of the building.

“Lacey?” Archie asked, his voice slightly panicked.

She jumped and tried not to look guilty as she created space between her and Danny. “Archie? What—what are you doing here?”

He came over to her and put a protective arm around her shoulders. To his credit, he did look genuinely concerned. “Seth and Sarita said you freaked and ran out at lunch. I was looking for you, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Lacey assured him. “I just needed some air.”

Archie cast a look toward Danny, who was watching them contemplatively. “He wasn’t bothering you, was he?” He asked, gesturing toward the dark haired teen.

“No,” Lacey said immediately. “He wasn’t. We were just…talking.”

Her boyfriend glared at the other boy before leading her to the school doors. “Come on, let’s get back inside,” he said, pointedly ignoring Danny.

Lacey was glad to avoid confrontation and allowed him to lead the way. He gripped her hand, hard, as they entered the school.

“Stay away from him,” Archie warned lowly. “He’s no good, Lacey.”

Against her better judgment, she gave one glance back at Danny, hoping to send him an apologetic look. (Hell if she knew what, exactly, she was apologizing for.) She never got the chance, though, because he was too busy staring at Archie with a look so… _dark_ he never even noticed her looking at him.

She turned back around abruptly and shivered as a wave of nervousness overcame her. As they started down the hall, Lacey couldn’t help but think that maybe her boyfriend was right.


End file.
